Unlike most caves, you must drop down into this one, making it impossible to leave the way you came in and forcing you to traverse the entire cave system to return to the surface. There are a lot of vertical elements in this cave system and the creatures are all leveled.

Upon dropping into the hole in the ground, you will find yourself at the edge of a large pool of water surrounded by icy walls with a tunnel leading to the north. A search of the deep pool of water reveals nothing of interest. Following the tunnel, it passes a glowing mushroom on the right-hand wall and then turns to the east. A short way further it turns back to the north and opens into a cavern with a small camp consisting of a campfire with three unowned bed rolls around it and three barrels to the west, beside a flat-topped rock with a large coin purse, a pickaxe, a copy of the Pickpocketskill bookAevar Stone-Singer and a sliced goat cheese on top. On one of the barrels is a bottle of alto wine and two bottles of wine. The cavern continues to the north, where a ledge descends around the walls of the cavern. Immediately below the camp on a ledge is a dead bandit pierced by numerous Falmer arrows and an unlocked chest. The path descends to a level below this ledge where another two bandits corpses can be found, presumably they are the ones who set up the camp. There are a few glowing mushrooms found throughout the cave system.

The path continues heading west and turns to the south after a short way. Take care along here as there is a pressure plate in the middle of the floor, on a darker patch, where it is harder to see. This triggers a spear trap that come out of the ground in front, a few paces further, out of sight is a Falmer hive on the left-hand wall with a leveled Falmer lurking inside. The path turns to the west again and the tunnel changes to Dwemer architecture. At the end of a short tunnel is a long dangerous drop, with a series of ledges you need to use to avoid severe damage or death. The final drop is onto a platform at the top of a curving ramp. Where another pressure plate triggers poison darts to fire from the wall behind you. The ramp curves around the shaft to another ledge and a second straight ramp leads down to a ledge with a stone pool containing shallow water, with another ramp curving down from this ledge. Below is a leveled Falmer and frostbite spider on a ledge with a Falmer hive concealing another Falmer on the wall. A final curved ramp leads down to the ground and a corridor heading west with a track for a spinning blade trap down the middle.

The corridor descends a short ramp to a crossroad, with two Falmer, one of which is leveled, standing in a dead end to the left, just out of sight. Using Detect life or the Aura Whisperdragon shout may make it look like just a single Falmer is standing there. There is an unlocked Dwarven chest ahead at the crossroads, and a corridor heading to the north from the chest, this leads into another ice tunnel that turns to the west after a short distance. Ahead it opens into a room of Dwemer construction with a large staircase with a collapsed Dwarven Centurion--(see bugs). Three more enemies guard the top of the stairs, consisting of a magic-using Falmer, frostbite spiders, skeevers and/or a leveled chaurus, depending on your level. The door at the top of the stairs leads to the second zone, Temple of Xrib.

The Temple of Xrib comprises a mixture of Dwarven ruins and frozen caves. Beyond the entrance is a wide corridor rising to the west, at the top it turns north before turning west again a few paces ahead. After a short corridor it enters a room guarded by a leveled Chaurus and with a leveled Falmer patrolling up and down a circular tunnel rising in the southwestern corner into a large cavern with a Falmer tent in view at the other end of the tunnel. There is a Falmer hive on the wall to the left as you exit the circular tunnel concealing a Falmer with several more further into the cavern behind a rock wall to the right of the tent, that will be alerted by any noise fighting the first. Climbing an earthen ramp to the first tent which has a campfire inside and there is a second empty tent to the right along with a Falmer hive against the wall. Behind the first tent is an open pen with a few piles of chaurus egg sacs and a ledge (see bugs).

The path continues to the west entering a tunnel that then turns to the south before opening out into a massive mist-filled cavern, with wide stairs leading up to the south, the ceiling high overhead glitters like parts of Blackreach rivals the sight of the huge Dwarven structure rising in front of you. It is possible to spend a lot of time exploring different ledges and corners in this cavern, however there is nothing of interest off the beaten track. From where you enter you can see the top of a Falmer tent at the top of the first flight of stairs. There is a magic-using Falmer and chaurus standing to the right of the tent, which contains a fire. Behind there are more levels with a pair of pillars in the distances several levels above where you enter. From the top of the stairs you can see more stairs off to the west, with two more Falmer patrolling the top of those stairs. Climbing the second flight of stairs reveals a Falmer tent to the right containing a fire and unlocked chest. To the left of this a path heads west before climbing a curving ramp. To the south a second tent has an unlocked chest in front of it and at the other end of this level is a third Falmer tent containing yet another unlocked chest. Between the second and third tents is a destroyed flight of stairs that have been crushed by falling masonry.

The path to the west climbs the curving ramp to a lit corridor above, where a magic-using Falmer and chaurus are patrolling, there in an unlocked Dwarven chest on the left of the second hanging light and another curving ramp rising beyond this to a tower above where another leveled Falmer stands guard. There is a short ramp down on the other side to the level seen from below with the pillars. There are several more enemies including a boss leveled Falmer, chaurus, frostbite spiders or skeevers on this level, the use of Detect Life or the Aura Whisper dragon shout is recommended. In the middle of this level at the rear, between two pillars is a smaller pillar with a large unlocked boss leveled chest in front. To the east is another lit tower with a lift to the third zone, the Abandoned Cave.

The Abandoned Cave is an unoccupied zone that serves as the exit for this ruin and cave system. There is a short corridor to the south to a door that is barred from the inside, preventing you from accessing the Temple of Xrib without first traversing the Sightless Pit. The only items of interest in this cave are a couple of snowberry bushes and a few glowing mushrooms which can be harvested along the path. Exiting out to Skyrim will bring you to a ledge overlooking the entrance to Sightless Pit. A small path up from the ledge leads to a stone altar with a skeleton lying on it holding a leveled, possibly enchanted weapon. Two more skeletons that will reanimate, one on either side of the altar when you approach it. The skeleton on the altar can be exploited for unlimited gold.

You may not be able to interact with the Dwarven Centurion on the stairs at the end of the first zone.

Behind one of the tents in the Falmer camp near the beginning of the Temple of Xrib, you can walk up onto a small ledge that has a glitched wall texture, allowing you to step out of the playable area and see further into the zone. You cannot proceed any further, however, and can only step back onto the ledge.